IIUG Alert (Issue #16)
February 08, 2002

Welcome to the International Informix Users Group (IIUG) Alert! It contains
time-sensitive material for the IBM Informix community. You are receiving it
because you are an IIUG member or a local Informix user group leader.

Europe’s IBM Software Symposium 2002 and Informix Products

For all IIUG members based in Europe, the Near East and Northern Europe,
this may be the best news in a long time: IBM will host a conference in
Vienna, Austria on June 10-14 that will cover all data base products,
including Informix!

IIUG is currently planning its presence at the IBM Software Symposium
2002. We will keep you updated of IIUG-related events and opportunities to
learn, network, influence and share with Informix fans in your area of the
world.

The Zone aims to be a prime source for the developer community to access
the latest news on Informix products and technologies, including articles,
tutorials, downloads, samples, beta programs and more. A few additional
features of the new site are a dynamic library and the ability to submit
articles for publication in future editions.

If you are not an IIUG member yet, we encourage you to join at no charge
and start sharing knowledge and experiences on the specialized IIUG lists.
Note that at some point relatively soon, the IDN news groups will be
deactivated. See you on the Zone!

IBM Informix Education On-Site Training in the US

IBM Informix Education has launched on-site training in the United States.
Ask us about their new pricing structure which makes on-site education a
more convenient and affordable option, even if you have only three or four
individuals to train. IBM has told IIUG that in most cases you will save money
by having IBM Informix teach at your site. You will receive the same course
material and promise the same quality instruction as if you were attending
at an IBM facility. In addition to saving you money and time, on-site
education courses can be customized to meet the specific needs of your
organization. For an additional fee, IBM Informix Education will even supply
the hardware for your on-site education engagement in the United States.

TechInfo Center Grows With IBM

For years the Informix TechInfo Center has been a trusted source for
technical support and information about IBM Informix products. As Informix
business is integrated into that of IBM, the TechInfo Center will gradually
look and function like the "eSupport" sites for other IBM products. The
TechInfo Center is committed to continuing to provide customers with
valuable and effective on-line support resources for their IBM Informix and
U2 products.

Enrolled customers can continue to use the TechInfo Center to access
product release information; technical alerts; product defect queries;
product lifecycle information; publications; and to open a case
electronically.

We Want Your Ideas for the Informix User Conference 2002!

Preparations for the Informix User Conference 2002, scheduled for
September 9-14 in Anaheim, California, are well under way and the IUC
planning committee needs your input to make IUC 2002 another great
educational and networking event!

IBM and the IIUG are currently in the process of defining content and
looking to you for breakout session and tutorial suggestions. Are you
interested in technology and solution-oriented product presentations,
success stories, roadmaps, panel discussions with experts in a specific
area, or introduction to other IBM products? How about a discussion on
WAP, Web, OLTP, Business Intelligence, Connectivity, Tools, DataMart and
Data Warehousing technologies? Please help us decide!

Your time is valuable! Make the most of it by getting what you want at IUC
2002. IBM wants to make sure that the User Conference meets your needs
and that they address the issues you need to know about. Tell us what you
want and we will try to integrate your requests when planning your Informix
User Conference.

You can also use IIUG’s site to submit ideas for what you would like to see
presented by fellow users, IBM Business Partners, IBM architects,
developers, or marketing personnel. Submit your ideas at:
http://www.iiug.org/iictopics.html

Additionally, we also need many more responses to our IIUC 2001
conference survey. If you haven't already done so, now would be a great
time to complete it. We're interested in your feedback even if you couldn't
attend that event. The following link will take you directly to the survey at:
http://www.iiug.org/cgi-bin/fglcl.cgi?iicsurvey

Local User Group Corner

The event calendar for the remainder of February has a distinctive
international flair with a German User Group workshop scheduled in
Hamburg, Germany, February 20. The IIUG Board will be traveling to Mexico
City for a Board meeting February 24 to 26, and a number of Board
members will be staying on to help get the first Mexico City User Group
meeting a Grande success!

Additionally, the Informix Users Group of Northern California had its first
meeting of 2002 this past Wednesday with robust attendance and excellent
speakers.

Closing and Credits

The International Informix Users Group (IIUG) is an organization designed to
enhance communications between IBM and its worldwide user community.
IIUG now approaches 13,000 members and enjoys the support and
commitment of IBM's Data Management division. Key programs include local
user groups and special interest groups, which we promote and assist from
launch through growth.